


Big Brothers

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Happiness Can't Be Arranged [10]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, OQ Prompt Party 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 17:32:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18997261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: Robin and Regina tell Henry and Roland that she's expecting.Written for OQ Prompt Party 2019.





	Big Brothers

Robin stands impatiently at the library's window, watching as Dr. Hopper's carriage pulls down the gravel pathway to that leads to and from the lodge. His hands are shoved into his pockets and he's rocking back and forth on his heels. Any moment now, Regina will be joining him with the doctor's report.

Dr. Hopper had been at the Lodge only a few weeks before to give them the happy news that Regina was pregnant-and he'd yet to come down from his high.

For months, they'd been trying to conceive a child. They'd done away with all the precautions they'd been taking and did their best not to overthink every little thing. Neither wanted to get their hopes up or boost their expectations too high, and Regina kept the earliest signs a secret, telling even herself there was a chance that they'd amount to nothing. But little by little, all the things she'd dismissed were harder to ignore, and while he was on a trip down south to Sherwood, Regina wrote to Dr. Hopper. He'd written back and set up an appointment-appropriately, for the day Robin was set to return to the Lodge-and he'd confirmed what she'd suspected.

Regina was pregnant.

For a few weeks, it'd been their secret. From the moment he knew of the pregnancy, he'd been ready to shout it from the rooftops and tell the world, but Regina wanted to wait. She said she wanted to be sure and reminded him that early on, anything could happen-and then, she'd grinned and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek as she whispered in his ear that it might be fun, just for a little while, to have a secret that only they knew.

He was fairly certain that Mrs. Beakley had figured it out, and if she knew, then surely Regina's father knew. But if they knew, they remained coy.

"Things went well," Regina says, coming into the library. "Dr. Hopper said the baby's heartbeat is strong. The baby seems healthy."

"That's good-" he says, his chest tightening as a smile pulls onto his lips. "And you-"

"Good, too," she tells him easily. "I'll be showing soon."

He nods. Already, there's a little bump. Regina hasn't said much about it, but he can't help but notice it. It's just a soft curve that's usually hidden away beneath her dresses. Every now and then, he catches a glimpse of it. Regina's

been patient with him touching her-pressing his hand to her abdomen as he leans in for a kiss or stroking his fingers over it as they lay together in bed. But the thought of it becoming more apparent-the thought of being able to soon feel the baby moving inside of her-makes him smile.

"We should probably tell Henry and Roland soon."

Robin nods. "That's going to make it real." He offers her a sheepish little laugh. "Not to say it's not already-"

"I know what you mean," she interjects, grinning as she holds out her hand to him. "When do you think we should tell them?"

Taking her hand, he pulls her to him, his mind mapping out the rest of their day-a nap together while the boys have their mathematics and German lessons with Mal, a walk before dinner, and then maybe they could tell them at dinner. "Well, we can tell the boys after they-"

"Tell us what?" Henry's voice asks as they both spin to face him.

"Yeah," Roland echoes. "Tell us what?"

Regina looks back at him, her eyes wide and a grin pulling over her lips as she shrugs. "Should we?"

"Well, I think we have to now," he replies, chuckling softly as he watches the boys' brows furrow. "Why don't you two have a seat," he says, motioning to the couch.

Reaching behind herself, Regina takes his hand, leading him to the couch. The boys sit on one end and they sit on the other, and for a moment, they both seem at a loss.

"Are we in trouble?" Roland asks, looking to Henry. "Because I didn't mean-"

"Roland-"

"No," Robin murmurs, his eyes narrowing. "You're not in trouble, but I'm getting the impression that maybe you should be."

Henry's eyes roll and he sighs. "Roland tracked in some mud."

"It was an accident."

"Except that it wasn't," Henry tells them, looking pointedly back at his younger brother. "Mal told us to take off our boots." Looking back, Henry shrugs. "So, I did… unlike someone."

Roland frowns. "There were warm cookies in the-"

"Alright," Regina interjects, cutting him off. "I… think we can fix this problem quite easily."

"And by we," Robin adds, looking to Roland. "She means you."

"I know," Roland sighs. "I figured that."

Regina laughs and he shakes his head-and then Henry clears his throat. "You wanted to tell us something," he says, bringing them back into the moment. "But someone interrupted."

"Actually, I interrupted," Roland says unncessarily.

Henry's eyes narrow. "That's not something you should be proud of doing."

"I was just clarifying."

"Moving on," Robin says, elevating his own voice over the boys. "We do have something to tell you."

The boys exchange a look. "It's a good something," Regina says. "Well, at least we think so."

"A very good something," Robin agrees, nodding to Regina and feeling his grin spreading wider.

Immediately, Roland's face brightens. "Are we getting a puppy!?"

"Uh... no," he hears himself say as he looks to Regina who is already shaking his head. "It's not a puppy."

"So, we are getting something?" Henry asks, looking curiously between them. "A good something."

Roland frowns. "It can't be that good if it's not a puppy."

"I… don't think Toulouse would like a puppy," Regina says. "I think he likes-"

"I think he'd like having a playmate," Roland tells her, looking quite serious. "One his size."

"A puppy would be bigger," Henry says, his brow furrowing. "Then he'd be a lot bigger than Toulouse when he grew up."

Roland blinks. "Not if we get a little dog."

"But then-"

"We're not getting a dog," Robin says, cutting in impatiently.

Regina laughs and shakes her head as she sits on the arm of the couch, looking to him with smiling eyes. "No, we're… getting a baby."

Roland's face scrunches. "From where?"

Robin chuckles as Henry's eyes roll.

But it's Regina who clarifies.

"Well, I'm having one," she says as her smile brightens. "By late spring, you'll have a new baby brother or sister."

Robin holds his breath, waiting for the boys to react-and then his heart skips a little beat as Henry cracks a smile. Henry fires a slew of questions, his excitement growing more and more apparent with each question. He wants to know if they really have to wait until the baby's born to know the gender and if he can hold the baby when its born. He wants to help set up the nursery and is worried about his mother's well-being, offering tea and promising not to make too much noise if she needs to nap. He's curious about what they'll call it and who it'll look more like-and again, Robin feels his heart flutter when Regina admits she hopes the new baby will have Robin's blue eyes.

Then, finally, Roland chimes in.

"I don't want a baby," he says in a small voice, his eyes focused on his hands in his lap. "I like things the way they are."

Robin frowns looking to Regina whose eyes are on Roland. "It's… not really an option at this point," he tells him. "It's a done deal."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it."

"That's true," Regina says softly as she reaches out and tips up Roland's chin. "You don't have to like it."

Sinking down in front of the boys, Robin focuses on Roland. "I'm… kind of surprised," he admits as Roland looks to him. "You love baby animals, and you like Winnie."

"Winnie doesn't live here," Roland tells him. "She's not ours."

"But wouldn't it be better if-"

"No," Roland says in a shaky voice. "It's not better."

"Babies are fun," Henry says, looking to Roland beside him. "You like playing with Winnie."

Roland's bottom lip pouts out. "I like playing with puppies more."

"But-"

Roland's eyes are filled with tears as he looks up. "Can I be excused? I don't feel well."

"You were fine when-"

"Of course, sweetheart," Regina says, her voice rising over Henry's. "Go up to your room and lie down for a little while. I'll come check on you in a bit."

Roland doesn't hesitate, and Robin sighs as he disappears up the stairs, and almost helplessly, he looks to Regina. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize," she insists. "It's… not personal. It's just… how he feels right now."

"Well, I'm excited," Henry says, grinning a bit awkwardly as he looks between them.

Regina grins and he reaches out and pats Henry on the back. "We know you are," he tells him. "And we're so glad you are."

"I think he'll come around. He just needs a little time to get used to the idea of it," Regina says, grinning as she pats Henry's knee. "And speaking of time, don't you have a German lesson you're supposed to be getting ready for?"

Henry nods. "Ja, ich habe heute eine Lektion."

"You should get going, then," Regina tells him. "You don't want to be late."

He offers a half-hearted grin and nods before getting up and running off toward the stairs. Robin watches him go, drawing in a breath and slowly releasing it as he looks to Regina. She shrugs as he gets up and sits down in the spot that Henry once occupied, and as he slumps back, she chuckles softly.

"Well, that was unexpected."

Regina nods. "A bit."

"I mean, I get not being overjoyed, but he was downright sullen."

"It's a bit adjustment," Regina says. "Maybe he just needs some time to get used to it, to warm up to the idea. He's the baby now. Not being the baby will be an adjustment."

"Maybe Henry can help with that."

"Maybe," she murmurs, her grin fading a little. "Or maybe there's something else going on."

Robin's brow creases as he considers that. "Something else? What are you thinking?"

"I… don't know," she admits. "It's just the impression I got. His response seemed so unlike him. He's usually so easy-going, and he's wonderful whenever Winnie comes to visit."

"Should I go up and talk to him?"

"No, I will in a bit," she tells him, reaching for his hand. "I want to give him a little time to process it all. Maybe he just needs a little time to figure out how he feels."

"Like he did with that parmesan ice cream my father served the last time were were at Sherwood."

Regina laughs, likely remembering the quiet, pensive look that overcame Roland as he took little bites of the ice cream until the bowl was empty. "Hopefully this time the final verdict will be in our favor."

"Well, this time, he really doesn't have much of a choice in it," Robin says, as a slow grin curls onto his lips. "We're having a baby whether he likes it or not."

"We are," she says, biting down on her lip. "And now that the boys know, we should… start making arrangements. We don't have anything even close to a nursery or-"

"All in time," he says easily. As excited as he is, he wants to savor every moment of this pregnancy and doesn't want to rush a single thing. "Maybe tomorrow we can go into town and talk to the carpenter about a crib-"

Regina brightens a bit. "I also want to see about a pram."

"I can't wait to go," he tells her, grinning a bit coyly as his hand forms around hers, gripping tightly as gives it a little tug. Regina laughs out as he pulls her from the couch arm into his lap. She falls against him and his arms fold around her as he leans in, peppering her neck and jaw with kisses. "Maybe we can make a day of it," he tells her, his lips coasting up over her cheek. "Take the boys-"

"Maybe drum up some excitement in Roland."

Robin laughs. "He does love to shop."

"He does," Regina agrees, turning to look at him with a wide grin and smiling eyes-she looks so, genuinely happy, and it seems that nothing can dash that, and in turn, that makes him all the happier. "And until then, your excitement can be enough for you and our sullen son."

Leaning in, he pecks her cheek and chuckles softly. "My excitement can be enough for me, Roland, and the entire world." And, for now, she decides that his excitement is enough, certain the rest will fall into place when it's meant to.


End file.
